nicholson



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. G,- H. NICHOLSON.

TABLET 0R PLATE FOR DISPLAYING LUMINOUS FIGURES.

No. 394,386. Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

mill/Illa WID EEEE lr x/ar tmr.

7Q .QL, (ii m g Theophilus Georgefl usbaniflicholson bp-nm/kw By.Httorney N PETERs. PhnltrLHfmgnphlzr, Wnhingion. D. cv

(No Model.) 2 Sheets.Sheet 2. I T. G. H; NICHOLSON.

TABLET 0R PLATE FOR DISPLAYING LUMINOUS FIGURES. No. 394,386. PatentedDec. 11, 1888.

V Tlleophilus George Ewbami fliicholson/ 31/ M fitter-neg Nv PETERS.Fhnlo-Lllhugmpher, Walhmglom D. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

THEOPHILUS G. H. NICHOLSON, LIVERPOOL, (OUNTY OF LAYLASTER, ENGLAND.

TABLET OR PLATE FOR DISPLAYING LUMINOUS FIGURES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 3943386, dated December11, 1888.

Application filed May 15, 1888- Serial No. 274,005. (No model.) Patentedin England January 31, 1888, No. 1,422.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEOPHILUS GEORGE HUSBAND NICHOLSON, M. R. C. 8.,&c., dental surgeon, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and aresident at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, in the Kingdom ofEngland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in orrelating to Tablets or Plates for Displaying Luminous Figures,Characters, or Other Signs, (for which I have obtained a patent inEngland, No. 1,422, of January 31,1888,) of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in tablets or plates which willdisplay the figures, characters, or other signs thereon both in daylightand in the dark.

The immediate object of the improvements is to provide a luminous numberor name tablet which shall be more durable and effective than anyhitherto known to me. The luminosity is produced by any suitableluminous paint or paste, preferably of a light color, so that it may bereadily visible in daylight.

The invention may be best described by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, which represent it as it may be applied to numbertablets orname-plates for street-doors.

Figure l is an elevation of a numbertablet. Fig. 2 is a transversesection of same on line a r, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 a similar section online y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an elevation of nameplate; and Fig. 5 atransverse section of same on line 2' 2, Fig. 4.

In the drawings, A A are the figures, characters, or devices, which maybe either plain or ornamented to any desired extent. These are made ofany suitable material, preferably of lead or some easily-workedcomposition. They are secured to a back supporting-plate, B, in anyconvenient manner, being raised considerably above the surface thereof,but preferablynot to a greater distance than in an ordinary door-plate.

The plate B may be of metal, as in Figs. 1 to 3, or of wood, as in Figs.-land 5, or of any other suitable material or composition. \Vhen thesupporting-plate is of metal, the letters,

characters, &c., are by preference secured thereto by one or morerivets, a, formed in one with the parts A and passing for a shortdistance through holes in the said plate. hen

the supporting-plate is of wood or similar material, the letters,characters, &c., are preferably secured to the said plate by nails orscrews a, or their equivalent, as in Fig.

E is a coating of luminous paint or similar material, which is laid overthe front surface of the plate B. The letters, characters, &c., are thenpressed against the paint and riveted or otherwise secured to the plate;or the letters, &c., may be secured to the plate first, and the luminouspaint afterward laid over the visible portions of the said plate. Thislatter method is not so good, however, as it occupies more time and doesnot produce such a sharp clean edge between the letters and the luminouscoating.

The parts A are covered by a plate, C, of glass or other transparentmaterial, which is let into a frame, D, preferably of metal, though itmay be of wood, as in Figs. l and 5. The glass is placed a shortdistance from the parts A, and is retained within the frame D by cementor by springs or clips (1, Figs. 1 to 3, let into a slot in the frameand turned over the glass, or by a groove, as in Fig. 5, or by othersuitable means, so that it cannot be pressed against the parts A. Theframe D preferably incloses the plate B; but when the latter is formedof a thin sheet of metal, as in Figs. 1 to 3, it is desirable to provideit with lugs b l), which extend outward to the edge of the frame. Theframe fits over these lugs, one of them, b, being preferably sprungendwise into a shallow dovetailed recess in the frame, and the other,1), being simply dropped into a corresponding recess therein. Therecesses l) and b are of such a depth that the frame projects slightlybeyond the rear surface of the plate, thus preventing the latter fromsticking to the wood-work 0r backing E. By this means the removal of thetablet is facilitated and it is less liable to be injured during suchremoval.

The frame I) is secured to the plate B or to the backing F by screws Gor their equivalent. In the case of a plate, such as shown in Figs. 1 to3, the screws pass in'efcrably through the lugs b and b.

The glass plate 0 protects the luminous coating from dust and rain andfrom mischievous mutilation, and thus it is enabled to retain itsfreshness and luminosity for a greater length of time than wouldotherwise be the case. A sign constructed as herein described needslittle or no cleaning or polishing, as is the case with the usual classof signs or tablets.

My invention is also applicable to street name-plates, shop or officename-plates, hotclsigns, &c.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a sign-plate, of asupporting-plate having its front face covered with a luminous pigment,characters in relief thereon, and a transparent plate for protecting theface of said supporting-plate, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a sign-plate, of a supporting-plate covered Witha luminous pigment, characters in relief on said luminous surface, and aglass plate for protecting said characters arranged at a distance fromthe surface of said characters, whereby injury to subscribing Witnesses.

T. G. H. NICHOLSON. \Vitn esses:

M. P. THOMPSON, GEo. C. DYMOND.

